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Telehealth Program to be Available Nationwide by the End of 2020

NEW YORK, NY — Planned Parenthood is excited to announce that Planned Parenthood Direct, an app that offers birth control and UTI treatment, is now available in more than half the country — 27 states and the District of Columbia — and will be live in all 50 states by the end of 2020. The app is a convenient way for people to access high-quality sexual and reproductive health care from Planned Parenthood’s trusted, expert providers through a smartphone — no matter where they are. 

With the Planned Parenthood Direct app, users can request birth control pills be delivered to their door, get a prescription for UTI treatment sent to a nearby pharmacy, learn about different methods of birth control, or make an appointment at a Planned Parenthood health center. 

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“Planned Parenthood is continually looking for new ways to reach people with the care they need, and we’re proud to be a leader in using technology and innovation to expand people’s access to health care and information. As politicians across the country try to restrict or block access to critical reproductive and sexual health care, the Planned Parenthood Direct app is just one part of the work we do to ensure that more people can get the care they need, no matter where they are.”

There’s currently a vast unmet need for sexual and reproductive health care in the United States. Recently, the Trump administration forced Planned Parenthood out of Title X, the nation’s only dedicated program for affordable birth control and reproductive health care. The administration’s move will greatly impact access to birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and other critical health services, particularly for people of color, people with low-incomes, and people in rural and remote communities. In the wake of increasing restrictions on sexual and reproductive health care, the Planned Parenthood Direct app is helping to break down barriers and get people the timely care and information they need. 

Statement from Kelly Gordon, advanced practice clinician, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands:

“Planned Parenthood health centers see patients who struggle to overcome barriers to get health care, whether that’s lack of time, the distance they have to travel, difficulty finding child care, or trouble getting an appointment with a provider. Through the Planned Parenthood Direct app, we can often bypass those barriers and provide the same high-quality care that they would receive at a health center visit. We want every patient — no matter where they are — to be able to stay healthy and reach their life goals.”

The Planned Parenthood Direct app is free and available for download in the App Store or on Google Play. Quick and convenient to use — on your lunch break or after hours — it’s currently available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. 

Planned Parenthood is committed to using technology to find new ways to help people take charge of their health and well-being. The Planned Parenthood Direct app is the latest addition to Planned Parenthood’s set of robust digital tools that are revolutionizing the way people access sexual and reproductive health care and information by making it accessible through a variety of innovative platforms. We’re committed to reaching people wherever they are — whether that’s online, on their phones, or in a health center — with the care and information they need to stay healthy.

  • Launched earlier this year, our sexual and reproductive health chatbot Roo gives young people answers to their burning questions about their health, their body, or getting care at Planned Parenthood — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Roo also helps users get the right resources at the right time by directing them to a live educator from our successful Chat/Text program.

  • Planned Parenthood’s Chat/Text program allows young people to have live conversations with trained educators via instant message or texts, reaching them with critical information about sexual health when they are in need of fast, confidential help. We’ve had more than one million conversations since the Chat/Text program started in 2010, and research found that Chat/Text has led to increased health center visits, greater use of condoms in addition to another method of birth control (“dual use”), and increased familiarity with IUDs and implants, the most effective reversible birth control methods.

  • Since launching our online appointment scheduling program in 2014, we’ve booked more than four million appointments online. Many Planned Parenthood health centers offer same-day appointments online and extended health center hours, which means people can get the care they need, when they need it. A patient-centered approach to care means making it as easy as possible for our patients to get the care they need. We know that our patients have busy lives and appreciate the convenience of scheduling their appointments at any time, including evenings and weekends.

  • Planned Parenthood’s free birth control and period tracker app Spot On helps people track and predict their periods, understand their menstrual cycles, and manage their birth control methods. It also provides guidance and fun facts from Planned Parenthood experts.

  • The newly launched and up-to-date abortion access tool allows our supporters to learn about current and potential threats to abortion access at the local and national levels.

  • Planned Parenthood’s growing library of YouTube videos model healthy communication for young people around consent and safer sex and STIs, as well as the basics of caring for your vagina and vulva.

  • Planned Parenthood websites provide sexual and reproductive health information and tools online 24/7 in both English and Spanish, and receive more than 100 million visits a year. We redesigned and revamped PlannedParenthood.org to better meet the needs of our millions of visitors: It’s now more user friendly, gender neutral, and health literate. The new PlannedParenthood.org features updated and revamped pages for teens, parents, and educators to help them better access the information and resources they need, when they need them.

  • Young people can find information and submit questions on our Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

For updates on which states currently offer the Planned Parenthood Direct app and to learn more, visit PlannedParenthoodDirect.org. 

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

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